New Ebola Outbreak Tests International Response

A new outbreak of Ebola virus is ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since the first new Ebola case died on April 22nd, 29 suspected cases and 3 deaths have been reported in Northern DRC, including the areas of Nambwa, Mouma, and Ngay. The response to the outbreak has been swift, including contact tracing, deployment preparations by international teams, and contingency planning for vaccine usage in the event of further spread.

With the outbreak occurring in rural areas, containment efforts can help stem the spread of disease beyond the immediate region. In West Africa, Ebola reached major cities and the disease became extremely difficult to contain. As of now, the disease is contained to Northern region of DRC.

This is the first Ebola outbreak since the end of the outbreak in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. After significant backlash, the international eye is on Northern DRC to gauge how national and, importantly, international health authorities respond to and contain this outbreak. An experimental vaccine is available, but must pass regulatory approval to be used in this outbreak.